SteriPEN water purifiers use ultraviolet light to destroy a wide variety of bacteria, viruses and protozoan cysts, such as:
Bacteria - Bacteria are microscopic living organisms, usually one-celled, that can be found everywhere.
Campylobacter - A bacterium that causes intestinal infections. It is the leading cause of bacterial diarrhea.
Cholera - An acute intestinal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
Cryptosporidium - One of the most widespread intestinal parasites and a common cause of severe diarrhea. Often found in surface and groundwater sources susceptible to flooding or faecal contamination.
Escherichia coli - Also known as E. coli. It is transmitted to humans primarily through consumption of contaminated foods, such as raw or undercooked ground meat products and raw milk. Sometimes present in water contaminated by fecal matter.
Giardia – Has an outer shell allowing it to survive outside the body for long periods of time and making it tolerant to chlorine disinfection. The parasite is most commonly transmitted by water. It is the most common cause of non-bacterial diarrhea in North America.
Hepatitis – This virus can live in water and causes the medical conditions Hepatits A, B, C, and D.
Legionella – The disease-causing bacterium, Legionella pneumophila, is a waterborne pathogen found in natural and man-made water systems. Water supplies harbor Legionella pneumophila, and have been linked to outbreaks of both hospital- and community-acquired Legionnaires’ disease.
Protozoan parasite – Protozoan parasites live in the cells and tissues of other living creatures. Protozoans can cause problems, from targeting the central nervous system to diarrhea.
Salmonella – Salmonella bacterium can live in water for several months. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.
Shigella – Shigella is one of the leading bacterial causes of diarrhea worldwide. Estimates suggest that Shigella causes approximately 90 million cases of severe dysentery with at least 100,000 of these resulting in death each year.
Viruses – A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of other organisms.